Above is a picture of the night sky at 3 a.m. over Flagstaff, Arizona, the world’s first International Dark-Sky City.

… the plane of the Milky Way Galaxy arcs diagonally from the lower left to the upper right, highlighted by the constellations of Cassiopeia, Cepheus, and Cygnus. On the far right, the North America Nebula is visible just under the very bright star Deneb.

I have been fascinated by astronomy for as long as I can remember, but the night sky over my home is nowhere near as spectacular as this. Even during a power outage I can make out only the brightest of stars. But in areas like Flagstaff that have low light pollution, the sky looks this brilliant nightly. It’s no wonder why ancient civilizations were so captivated by the cosmos; unbounded by pervading light pollution before the discovery of electricity, they saw skies even more amazing than that in the picture above every night. In those times celestial objects and phenomena motivated scientific exploration, sparked inventions, inspired religions, directed navigation, assisted in timekeeping, and facilitated the growth of culture in a multitude of other ways.

Today light pollution detracts from our opportunity to appreciate this major aspect of our natural environment. The International Dark-Sky Association is a non-profit organization that seeks to raise awareness of the detriment of unnecessary light pollution in an effort to “preserve and protect the nighttime environment” that our ancestors enjoyed for generations. This mission statement may come off as overdramatic, but it holds truth in that the longer we allow light pollution to proliferate, the more difficult it will be to cut back. Ambient artificial light already “threatens astronomy, disrupts ecosystems, affects human circadian rhythms, and wastes energy to the tune of $2.2 billion per year in the U.S. alone.” I find the Association’s guidelines for individuals to be reasonable; many are as simple as turning off lights that aren’t being used, switching to lower wattage lights, adding shielding fixtures, and using a dim switch.

The astrophotography website APOD, from which the picture of Flagstaff was taken, is another initiative to promote awareness of the cosmos put on by NASA. It features a new photograph of the universe with a brief explanation from an astronomer every day. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the site:

I was and still am contemplating purchasing a telescope like this one, but I have found that there are alternative ways for enthusiasts to enjoy amateur astronomy. The astronomy departments of universities and community colleges with telescopes may hold evening programs during which they invite guests to learn about and use the telescopes, a great evening activity if you’re looking for something low-key. Even more engaging are star parties, or “astronomy events that consist of dozens to hundreds of people camping out with telescopes gazing at the heavens,” which happen under dark skies in every state. Many times star parties will also feature outdoor music. It’s unlikely that you’ll see anything as spectacular as what you can find on APOD, but these are enjoyable experiences and a great way to network with fellow enthusiasts. You can find information about star parties in your area from websites like these. Or you can skip the telescope altogether and just go out under the dark sky to see a show like the this.